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Dietitians recommend seven eating habits to avoid blood sugar spikes.

With these expert advice, you can keep your glucose levels in check.

By Health care Published 4 years ago 5 min read
Dietitians recommend seven eating habits to avoid blood sugar spikes.
Photo by Sander Dalhuisen on Unsplash

When it comes to controlling your blood sugar, there are numerous aspects to consider. Overeating, stress, and even getting sick, according to the CDC, can cause your glucose levels to rise, resulting in unpleasant symptoms including weariness and impaired vision. Exercise, medicine, and the correct eating choices can help many people manage their health problems. While workout schedules and medication regimens are relatively simple to implement, keeping track of your meals and eating habits might be more difficult.

The Mayo Clinic suggests that you eat fish, fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats while avoiding processed carbohydrates. While this advise is easier said than done, you must nonetheless keep track of your eating habits.

Fortunately, we've compiled a list of the best positive eating habits to adopt when you want to avoid blood sugar spikes and the unpleasant side effects that come with them. You may reduce glucose spikes to a minimum and feel more consistent by implementing these patterns into your personal eating regimen. Then check out our list of the 22 Meals to Melt Belly Fat in 2022 for even more meal ideas.

1.Vegetables should be the first course of your meal.

"Starting each meal with veggies—ideally leafy greens, cucumbers, zucchini, or other non-starchy veggies—is one of the greatest strategies to reduce blood sugar increases," explains Samantha Presicci, MCN, RD, LD, CPT at FOND Bone Broth. "After that, consume your protein, healthy fats, and any carbs you've prepared (rice, potatoes, etc). Fiber, followed by fat and protein, helps to keep blood sugar levels in check."

If you're looking for some veggie inspiration, the 12 Surprising Vegetables That Become Healthier When Cooked is a great place to start. You can't go wrong as long as you choose the alternatives with the least amount of starch.

2.Carbs and fats go well together.

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It may sound contradictory, but having a meal of fat with carbohydrates will help your blood sugar levels significantly.

"Always balance your carbs with fat or protein if you're having a snack," adds Presicci. "If you're going to have an apple or berries, couple them with a handful of almonds, nut butter, full-fat cheese, full-fat yoghurt, or another healthy fat or protein source. Because fat (and, to a lesser extent, protein) digests more slowly than carbohydrates and rarely generates a blood sugar increase on its own, eating a few bites of these protein and fat-rich items before eating the carbohydrate half of your snack will result in a lower blood sugar surge."

"It's preferable to stay away from naked carbs—carbs that aren't accompanied by protein or fat," Presicci explains. "A reasonable rule of thumb for managing blood sugar is to stick with 1 to 2 servings of carbs (30 grammes or fewer) per meal, and to match those carbs with appropriate protein (30 grammes or more) and healthy fat (1 to 3 servings)."

3.Take another sip of bone broth.

By Ella Olsson on Unsplash

You can't go wrong with adding a liquid component to your meals if you want to diversify them.

"Along with vegetables before the main course, I prefer to offer a blood sugar-balancing beverage like bone broth," Presicci explains. "Specific amino acids in bone broth, such as glycine and glutamine, aid to control blood sugar and nourish the digestive tract. It can be a fantastic blood sugar-balancing match for a meal or snack because it's high in protein."

Don't think you have to spend all day in the kitchen to make this classic. Keep an eye out for The Best & Worst Store-Bought Broth & Stock Brands the next time you go grocery shopping so you can bring home the correct broth for your tastes.

4.Consume a well-balanced diet.

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It may seem self-evident, but eating a well-balanced meal can improve your blood sugar levels dramatically.

"The best way to avoid blood sugar spikes through nutrition is to eat a balanced meal or snack," explains Caitlin Carr, MS, RD. "Blood sugar increases are caused by highly processed carbohydrates, also known as "refined carbs." Does this imply that we must always avoid them? No. Carbohydrates (even refined ones) must be consumed in moderation in order to maintain a healthy balance of nutrients. By expanding the variety of nutrients our bodies consume and extending the duration of absorption and transport to the circulation, pairing carbohydrates with fat, protein, and fibre will decrease the absorption of carbohydrates from a meal. A number of nutrients, when digested over time, reduce the concentration of glucose entering the bloodstream, preventing a blood sugar increase."

"Your best defence against blood sugar surges is a dietary pattern rich in a mix of macronutrients and fibre," Carr continues. "This could take the form of a Mediterranean or DASH diet, or simply making an effort to eat a fruit or vegetable with each meal and snack."

5.Increase the amount of fibre in your diet.

Adding more fibre to your diet can't hurt, and it can even help you maintain a stable blood sugar level.

Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, founder of NutritionStarringYOU.com and author of The Everything Easy Pre-Diabetes Cookbook, states that "95 percent of Americans fall short of the recommended fibre intake of 14 grammes per 1000 calories, or around 25 to 38 grammes per day." "Fiber, especially soluble fibre, can help control blood sugar levels by producing a gel-like material with water that slows the rate of carbohydrate digestion and absorption. Oats and beans are two excellent sources."

Look for the 43 Best High-Fiber Foods For a Healthy Diet in your cupboards and pantry and start including them more in your daily meals.

6.Eat your meals early in the day.

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Eating meals earlier in the day offers numerous health benefits, and anyone who needs to control their blood sugar levels has yet another reason to enjoy an early dinner.

"Research shows that persons who consume a bigger percentage of their total calories earlier in the day may have better blood sugar control than those who eat the same amount of calories later in the day," adds Harris-Pincus.

"Our bodies handle carbohydrates better earlier in the day when we are active versus lying on the couch at night when our digestive system slows down in preparation for sleep," she adds. "For improved blood sugar control, use the ancient proverb, 'breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a poor.'"

7.Maintain a steady meal plan.

By Brooke Lark on Unsplash

"For a person with diabetes, getting into the habit of being consistent is critical because the body reacts to what it has been fed in the past, so it is critical that a person stay consistent with times, types of foods, and portion control," says Blanca Garcia, RDN and Nutrition Specialist at Healthcanal. "Over time, the body will be balanced, and a long-term test known as Hgb A1c will reveal whether sugar levels were consistent."

When it comes to minimising blood sugar spikes, consistency is crucial. Once you've mastered this practise, you'll be able to control blood sugar spikes and feel great all day long.

Now that you've mastered these eating habits, stock up on these Best Drinks to Lower Blood Sugar, According to Experts.

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